One Day At A Time
by Daisuke Anarie
Summary: RELOADED! Jenrya's the new student and quickly befriends a certain cinnamon-eyed boy. But something odd is going on... What could it be? Interlude: Jenrya's POV up!
1. Chapter One

You may be thinking, _wait, I've seen this before. _That's because I deleted it off my S/R Chick account and reloaded it here, for personal issues that deals with my stories. I'm sorry for the confusion.

One Day At A Time

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, of course. Just a few Digimon CDs and some color markers. Not even the CD player is mine. Heh...

Author's Note/Warning: This is Tamers AU with lots of TakatoxJenrya shounen-ai (possibly yaoi in the future) fluff. Don't like it, don't read it. It's that simple. Also, I have not seen all of the Tamers season, and only the English version for that matter. The information I have is from websites and... some is just made up. AU, people, it is AU! Furthermore, encouraging reviews would be greatly appreciated, while flames will just injure my already crumbling self-esteem. Be nice to me, please. I'm not even sure if I'll continue this... It just came up as an idea so... If you want me to continue, please let me know! The rating will most likely go up as the story progresses. So, with that said... Read and enjoy! – Rebecca Lyn/Daisuke Anarie

West Shinjuku High. No, it didn't seem ominous; it was just first day jitters. It was his first day at school and his third day in West Shinjuku total. And it was January, right in the middle of the school year, beginning at the second semester. So not only did he feel like he didn't belong, but like an intruder to routine. It unnerved him a bit, but he knew that he'd only have to take it one day at a time. It wasn't even official that they were there to stay for good. But who knew?

Lee Jianliang, in Japan to be known as Jenrya, or maybe just Lee, stared at the school gates, silently debating if he should go ahead and walk in or wait till someone found him. After a few minutes, he decided the former idea was probably the best. He didn't want to make a scene.

So, with that in mind, he pushed himself past the metal bars of the gates and into an immense mass of students. The first thing that Jenrya noticed was how loud everyone was; second, was the disorganization of the students; third... the behavior. Everywhere around him, someone was causing some sort of mischief, violence, or trouble. Bullies were picking on other kids, students spoke dirty with inappropriate gestures, and some, he heard, were plotting against the teachers. Thank God that they had to wear uniforms, or there would be even more inappropriate behavior. There were a few small groups of students that just minded their own business, observing the chaos like him, and stayed out of trouble.

It would be very easy to find yourself in the wrong crowd, he concluded moments later, and being in the wrong crowd was something he did not see enjoyable. At the previous schools he had been to briefly, he had seen many things that a kid should not have seen. The majority of it made him sick and disgusted, while the rest just scared him. How could kids be so out of control?

He kept himself in line. He did what he was told – and did it quickly, too. He obeyed rules set up by his parents and teachers and every other elder that was in his life. He didn't start fights, nor did he get involved in them. He didn't speak rudely and he did his best to not be rebellious in hard situations. He was never caught with an illegal drug or something that was hazardous to a person's health and safety – he never even thought about possessing something of that sort and stayed away from the people who did. Overall, he was that rare goody-goody in school, at home, in town, everywhere. You didn't run into many of those types, now, did you?

Or maybe... he was afraid to mess up, to do something wrong. He strived for the approval of his peers and elders, sometimes even from youngsters that really didn't care at all. Was someone always watching him, every step he took? Were they judging him at whatever he did? Okay, so he was a bit paranoid about those issues, but no one really realized that. He was very subtle about his feelings. In some ways, he was fragile, so he kept himself emotionally closed around most people, only sometimes opening up to his family. But his thoughts and feelings were much more complex than that... A confusing world of negative and positive, dark and light, good and evil... No one would find that out, though, of course.

His steel gray eyes moved over the crowds as he tangled the fingers on his left hand in his blue hair out of nervous habit. He was kind of on the tall side, so looking around wasn't much of a problem. His caramel-colored skin was a bit darker than usual, probably because of the embarrassment of not feeling that he fit in well enough and just the whole awkwardness of it all. He sighed heavily; there weren't any isolated spots he could hide himself in – those were all taken, making them not so isolated anymore. He wasn't quite sure he was ready to socialize with some unknown group of friends that he knew nothing about. So...

Hanging by himself, it was. He didn't have much of a problem with that, although he did get lonely. He was a human, after all.

Jenrya loosened the grip he had on his hair to smooth it out a little, and then let his hand drop back to his side. He made his way over to a small leafless tree slowly and silently, as if wanting to go by unnoticed. He kept his eyes set on his destination; he had been self-taught not to look down at his feet when he walked. That would make him look less confident and unsure, afraid even. Meet the world in the face, head to head.

However, he came very close to meeting a flying math book in the face. He had his quick reflexes to thank as he jumped back and out of the path of the book. He blinked owlishly at the sudden event and stopped walking to look at the mistreated item, then in the direction it had been thrown from. He was surprised to see a boy his age running towards him, appearing distressed.

"Gomen nasai," the boy gasped out as he stooped down to pick up the book. "I'm really sorry about that, honestly, I am." He shook his head, obviously mentally berating himself, and held the book to his chest, almost protectively.

Jenrya only took a few seconds to make a note of the boy's appearance. He had messy honey brown hair, bright cinnamon eyes, fair-colored skin, and... he bit back a snigger... ridiculously large yellow goggles atop his head. Didn't that go completely against the school's dress code? He shrugged off the thought, almost deciding that it was cute, and then nodded in dismissal. He didn't really want to know why the book had been thrown in the first place. "It's alright. There was no harm done... although your book might've been less fortunate," he replied nonchalantly.

The boy smiled at the response, looking relieved. "Yes, probably... Ah, well, thanks."

Jenrya was about to ask why, but he didn't get the chance as the other male took off in the way he came. _Odd_, he thought, then shook his head. He didn't really need to worry about it... But it had been his first real contact with someone at the school... That counted as something, right? He closed his eyes briefly, the image of the boy flashing in his mind, and smiled ever so slightly. Maybe... they could be friends...? He honestly would've liked that. The boy seemed pleasant and kind, very likeable. He knew appearances could be deceiving... but this one was genuine... hopefully.

If luck goes my way, maybe I'll see him again... Maybe... 


	2. Chapter Two

One Day At A Time: Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Digimon. But I'm working on getting some more CDs. Heheh. –runs off to listen to Mirai for the, what, thousandth time?– No, no... I'm not obsessed! Really!

Wow... I just noticed... The italics worked! Woohoo! So happy! –sings and dances–

Author's Note/Warning: This is Tamers AU with lots of TakatoxJenrya shounen-ai (possibly yaoi in the future) fluff. Don't like it, don't read it. It's that simple. Also, I have not seen all of the Tamers season, and only the English version for that matter. The information I have is from websites and... some is just made up. AU, people, it is AU! Furthermore, encouraging reviews would be greatly appreciated, while flames will just injure my already crumbling self-esteem. Be nice to me, please. I'm not even sure if I'll continue this... It just came up as an idea so... If you want me to continue, please let me know! The rating will most likely go up as the story progresses. So, with that said... Read and enjoy! – Rebecca Lyn (Did you realize I just copied and pasted that? Heh. Go me.)

Also... If it sounds a bit OOC, I apologize before hand. I'm sorry. Sometimes I just look deeper than the outer appearance of personalities and explore how someone might really feel underneath that smiley, happy face. Oh, the possibilities! I'm trying my best to stay in character, though... so... Hang with me here. I'm doing the best I can right now! And... one last thing, I promise, and then I'll shut up. This chapter has a few touchy points in it. It just goes over how _I _feel the world is like, putting it into the view of a character. Oh well... – Again, Rebecca Lyn/Daisuke Anarie

Matsuda Takato scowled slightly as he made a beeline towards his small pack of friends. He hadn't been pleased at all when Hirokazu threw his math book across the school courtyard. He knew Hirokazu didn't really care about the 'welfare' of school property, but he could've at least thrown someone else's math book that wouldn't mind. And at another student, too! The nerve of him! ... But, hey, that was Shiota Hirokazu for ya.

Another student... Takato frowned in reflection. He didn't recall ever seeing that student before. He wasn't always paying attention to the activity around him, though, so maybe that's why. Then again, he could've been a new student. He looked foreign to Japan, truth is told.

He shuddered as he remembered the cool, composed gleam in the other person's eyes. He seemed so calm and at ease, although he knew it was just a cover-up... a mask to hide the scared, nervous, unsure child that had no clue what he was supposed to do... He was just shooting in the dark here, though.

He wasn't fooled that easily. He might seem dense at times, but he really wasn't... He was just behind a mask, too.

Acceptance was an issue with young teens. Takato had a big issue with it, actually, as much as he didn't want to admit it. He wanted so much to just fit in, to feel like he belonged. But the things a person had to do to reach that goal... _That boy didn't seem to mind if he fit in or not. He might've been nervous, but he didn't seem to mind,_ Takato noted silently. Then again, he could be completely wrong. He might have felt out of place anyways and just didn't show it in an obvious way. Was he an outcast, maybe? Or just a loner? _Maybe he just doesn't care, end of story... He's his own person._ That possibility intrigued him greatly. It was uncommon to see someone who wanted to be different. The world was full of copycats and wannabes and stereotypes. Most people just wanted to be liked... They'd do anything... stuff they didn't want to do...

He wasn't quite sure if he was one of those people or not. Sometimes he'd do weird, unusual things just to prove himself, but he did try his best to just be himself. He hoped he wasn't, because he saw a lot of examples, most taken to a much higher, more intense and desperate degree. Sex, drugs, alcohol, violence...

Okay, so maybe he was one of those people. But he was like them quietly. He didn't take action most of the time. He had never gotten involved with anything other than a few violent incidents, mainly to just prove himself capable of... of what? That, there, just showed how stupid it all was. They really had no idea why they did this stuff! They threw themselves into danger for what? Was it really worth it if someone got hurt?

The world was just crazy, an exploding madhouse. And the kids in the world were the same.

_Most of them, anyways,_ Takato reminded himself.

He shook his head as he saw Hirokazu wave at him, grinning like a maniac. _Must be really proud of himself for that,_ he thought with an exasperated sigh.

Beside Hirokazu was Kitagawa Kenta. Not too far away was Katou Juri, the girl he was supposedly crushing on since he was nine, if he remembered correctly. Sadly enough, it was another mask. But he did find it hilarious when Hirokazu and Kenta believed that it was real. He guessed he was a good actor when he wanted to be one. Even Juri fell for it.

Maybe he shouldn't be playing with other people's minds like that... But how was it possible to tell your friends that are as straight as an arrow, that you prefer males to females without being teased or beaten up? _I'll deal with that issue later..._

When he arrived at the stone bench that his friends were gathered around, Takato gave Hirokazu a well-deserved glare. "You know... throwing my math book around is bad enough, but did it dawn on you that it nearly hit someone?" he asked, sounding seriously miffed.

Hirokazu shrugged, putting on his best innocent smile. "Why would I ever do something that terrible?" Even Kenta glared at him this time. "What? You said it _nearly_ hit someone, not that it _did_."

Juri shook her head as she walked over to them. "Hirokazu-kun... when will you ever grow up? You're a young adult now, you should have matured since third grade," she scolded, although it was more of a joke than anything else. She shook her head one last time, averting her attention to Takato. "Someone was nearly hit? Who?"

This time it was Takato's turn to shrug. "I didn't recognize him... maybe a new student. I'm not sure. But –"

He didn't get the chance to finish when Hirokazu piped up, earning him an irritated look. "How much longer till the bell rings?" The other three blinked and he quickly explained, holding up his hands in front of his face, "I'm getting sick of all the noise..."

Takato sniggered softly before commenting, "At first I thought you were eager to get to class. I should've known better, though, hmm? Although you're excuse sounded a bit weak..." he trailed off, letting his statement hang in the air. He gave a sudden small yelp when Hirokazu punched his arm playfully. "Hey! That wasn't nice."

Hirokazu pouted, eyes narrowed slightly. "You were teasing me! That wasn't nice, either. No one messes with a Shiota and gets away with it." He paused to shake his head before continuing. "Anyways, the time, please?"

Kenta looked down at his wristwatch briefly, and then over at Hirokazu. "Four minutes. But you can wait that long, can't you?" He shrugged when he received a glare.

Takato watched them for that moment, smiling slightly. He didn't want to say it aloud, but those two _did_ act like they were closer... than friends. They would fight like cats and dogs, but make up in the end so quickly that it'd make your head spin. He thought it was a little odd... Could 'Kazu and Kenta really be an item? Or were they just really close friends? Honestly, he should've known that by now... they were his best friends, for crying out loud! ... Okay, he had been a bit preoccupied lately with schoolwork and these freaky dreams he'd been having.

What, you say? Freaky dreams? Well, you see –

The bell rang a few minutes later and every student – every single student – pushed their way towards the building entrance, shoving and stepping on each other. It was so out of order and it got even louder... was that possible? Kids could be surprising, so yes, it was possible.

Takato clapped his hand over his mouth to stifle a large yawn as he trudged along in the wave of bodies. It was odd how he got tired all of a sudden, with no apparent reason at all. It was just the beginning of the day and he was already exhausted. His vision wavered slightly, his focus failing him, and he stumbled over his own feet, warm reddish-brown eyes clouding over. He vaguely heard Juri cry out in surprise. There was the gut-churning sensation of falling, and he faintly saw the ground coming closer to his face, but he didn't feel the pain of impact. All his emotions and senses had gone numb.

Everything was white now, but it slowly shifted into new scenery. He was standing in a vast meadow of flowers. Green, red, yellow, pink, and white everywhere. Above him were a cloudless azure sky and a sun that shone brightly, although not bright enough to irritate someone's eyes. Off in the distance, he could see a range of tall trees of brown and green... and orange and sky blue... wait... What?! His thoughts exactly.

His legs started to move on their own, but he didn't resist. He walked through the grass, which grew a bit taller than he thought it would. A small breeze tickled his cheeks and teased his hair, and he inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh smell of nature. With a content sigh, he turned his head to get a better view of his surroundings. Everything looked the same, though, except...

He blinked several times and stopped walking, pivoting on his heel to take a closer look. Not too far away were a group of six people, just now trying to get off the ground and brushing at their clothing. A chill shot down his spine as he slowly moved towards them, his legs guiding him once more.

One of those people was easier to see than the rest, mainly because they had red hair – it appeared more orange than red, though – up in a high ponytail. Takato blinked again. That looked awfully like Ruki, an out-of-school friend of his. She was a hot-tempered tomboy with an attitude, to put things simply. But she was a great friend. She was the only one he had told that he was attracted to males, not females. Strangely enough, she had just nodded her head, smirking slightly, and said, "That's what I thought."

Another person seemed familiar, too; dark hair and glasses, kind of short. _Like Kenta..._ he thought.

He froze in spot when he was close enough, shocked at the sight. Those two people were indeed Ruki and Kenta. He quickly looked around at the others; Hirokazu was helping Juri up and... uh... _The new kid? Why's he here?_ he thought, baffled. Well, whatever his name was, he was already up on his feet and looking around with wide, curious eyes.

What he saw next surprised him even more. The Takato he saw before him was adjusting the goggles on his head as he stood up, frowning.

The real Takato shuddered as everything in his head turned fuzzy. He felt his legs give out on him and he fell back onto his rear, although he didn't feel anything when he hit the ground. Dizzy, Takato closed his eyes, barely aware of the soft voice calling out his name as he drifted off into oblivion.

Author's Note (Again): Well... there's a plot...? Yeah, I know, this chapter was a bit slow and boring. I suffered through it as much as you did. The next few chapters will be like that, too, I think. So... just be patient, I guess. Sorry. I'll try better!


	3. Chapter Three

One Day At A Time: Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I never plan to, really. I'm happy with taping the episodes, listening to the CDs, role-playing yaoi occasionally, and wishing that I could get my hands on the Japanese series with subtitles. Oh well.

Author's Note/Warning: This is Tamers AU with lots of TakatoxJenrya shounen-ai (possibly yaoi in the future) fluff. Don't like it, don't read it. It's that simple. Also, I have not seen all of the Tamers season, and only the English version for that matter. The information I have is from websites and... some is just made up. AU, people, it is AU! Furthermore, encouraging reviews would be greatly appreciated, while flames will just injure my already crumbling self-esteem. Be nice to me, please. I'm not even sure if I'll continue this... It just came up as an idea so... If you want me to continue, please let me know! The rating will most likely go up as the story progresses. So, with that said... Read and enjoy! (Again. Copied and pasted.)

I've personally been having lousy days, so that might reflect on my writing – whether it's a bit less organized or have more angst. Hope you don't mind too much. But if you absolutely hate it, tell me and I'll rewrite it. (Can't promise I will, but I'll do what I can to make it better.) And... the plot is developing more in this chapter (maybe not)... so it's hopefully a little longer. Yup... Ja. – Rebecca Lyn/Daisuke Anarie

"Ugh..."

Takato's eyes flittered open, immediately blinded by the bright light overhead, and he pressed one hand against his forehead. He squinted against the offending light and turned his head to one side, finally just closing his eyes again. He tried to relax in the soft mattress underneath him, but the memories of his 'dream' came back like a flood, jerking him into a wary state. "Where...?"

"You're in the nurse's station, Takato-kun. So don't worry."

He furrowed his brows, concentrating on the voice and whom it belonged to. It was soft and feminine, so familiar. '_Juri... It's Juri.'_ After a few more minutes, he forced his eyes open, this time bearing the onslaught of light. He nodded slowly, the motion strained, and he attempted sitting up. He nearly didn't make it, but two hands caught him deftly, one hand supporting his back while the other grasped his arm.

Feeling a bit dazed – and maybe a little nauseous – Takato willed himself to look around without getting dizzy. '_Head hurts...'_

Juri was sitting next to him on the bed, staring at him with worried eyes. "Are you alright?"

Figures. Count on a girl to ask something like that.

Takato forced a small nod in reply, silently pleading his eyes to stay focused as he regained – or tried to regain – his composure. He sighed, having to ignore the slight throbbing inside his temples, and eventually asked, "What happened?"

There was a pause of silence before Juri started to explain. "You collapsed right in front of the steps leading to the school..."

-"Takato-kun!" Juri exclaimed, pushing past a few people to get to the goggle head. She kneeled down beside him and tried to shake him.

Takato didn't move.

She looked around frantically; everyone seemed too preoccupied with their own business to notice, save for herself, Hirokazu, and Kenta. They formed a tight ring around the fallen boy to prevent anyone from treading over him, but that shield broke when Hirokazu and Kenta darted off to find a teacher and the school nurse to help.

Juri felt helpless as she turned Takato onto his back, trying to be as careful as she could. She wasn't the strongest person physically, but there was no way she'd let one of her best friends remain sprawled out, face down, on the ground. She cradled Takato's head in one arm, watching as his eyebrows twitched a little in his unconscious state.

She hoped the other two would hurry. Even she was being stepped on and she wasn't the one on the ground!

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand fell onto her shoulder, although the touch was rather light. Turning her head, she saw a boy beside her, looking just about as worried as she was.

"Here," he said calmly, holding out his arms. "Let me help you."

Juri stared into his gray eyes, searching for any little thing that would give him away as suspicious. She found nothing and nodded, a bit reluctant, though, to hand Takato over to some stranger, no matter how truly concerned he looked.

The blue-haired boy offered a small, encouraging smile before moving closer and gently scooping Takato into his arms. Juri watched in awe as he stood up with ease, seeming unfazed by the extra weight he was bearing. When she caught his gaze, she quickly got up as well.

"You'll have to show me to the nurse's station... I haven't a clue where it is," he said, almost sheepishly.

Juri nodded once more and looked ahead of them. The mob of students was thinning considerably now, to her relief, so they probably wouldn't have to worry too much of getting into the building... Making it through the halls would be another matter. They'd be able to manage it, though.

A part of her thought about waiting for Kenta or Hirokazu, but knowing the staff at the school, it'd take another ten minutes or so to get their attention. The teachers were almost just as bad as the students. With that in mind, she headed into the building, prepared to push anyone out of the way so they could reach the nurse's station faster.

As they entered the building, the blare of chattering, lockers slamming, and footsteps assaulted their eardrums. It was a wonder that Takato didn't wake up because of the earsplitting noise. A few people took the time to glance over at them, but not for long as they went back to their business, whether that was getting books, walking to class, flirting with a handsome jock, or just talking idly to a friend (whichever was most important to that person).

"Oi!"

Juri came to an abrupt stop, nearly causing the boy to ram into her. She spun around on her heel, giving the boy a quick apologetic smile, then looked around until she spotted Hirokazu. "You made it," she said, inwardly relieved.

The spiky-haired teen nodded absently before bursting into a report. "The nurse is with another student, so she couldn't come right away to help, but her office is open and we can go on in."

"Ariga-"

She was cut off when Hirokazu cast the other boy a wary look and asked, "Who's this?"

Juri shook her head. "Let's get Takato to the nurse first, and then he can introduce himself to us all." She looked at the blunette and got a slight nod of the head in return; that was all she needed before she returned on her way, Hirokazu now following behind them as well.

The trip to the nurse's station was otherwise quick and uneventful. They were able to get Takato on one of the small beds set up in the back of the room, waiting for the nurse to come.-

"... She still hasn't gotten here yet and we shooed Hirokazu away just a few minutes ago," Juri ended quietly. She offered him a brief smile of sympathy. "But now that you're awake, I think you'll be fine."

Takato nodded dumbly as his eyes wandered on their on accord to the hand on his arm. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion, seeing that the skin was much too dark for the hand to belong to Juri. Following the arm that was attached to the hand, he looked up to see a nearly emotionless face with gray eyes. He immediately recognized him as the teenager that his book was thrown at. "You... so you're the one who carried me here?" he asked shyly, intimidated by the stranger's too calm look.

The other nodded, not saying a word, but smiling ever so slightly.

Juri's eyes widened and turned to the stranger, too. "Oh, that's right! Who are you, by the way?"

His voice sent shivers down Takato's spine as he spoke slowly, "Just call me Lee."

"Are you new here?" Juri questioned, tilting her head in mild interest.

"Yes." However, before she could reply, he let go of Takato and stood up, looking a bit disturbed. "I'd like to stay and talk, but I need to get by schedule from the office so I can go to class."

Juri blinked in surprise and Takato watched him closely, not fully convinced, as he walked hastily out of the nurse's station.

Once out, Lee Jenrya allowed himself to shiver. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, lowering his head and pressing a palm against his forehead.

"Something about them... is off," he murmured to himself. "Especially 'Takato-kun.'"

-Author's Note: This has been sitting around for such a long time and I'm finally now finishing it. I'm sorry for the delay, but I hope you're satisfied with what I have! The going is still slow, but the plot twist should be just a few chapters away.


	4. Interlude Jenrya's POV

One Day At A Time: Jenrya's POV

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I never plan to, really. I'm happy with taping the episodes, listening to the CDs, role-playing yaoi occasionally, and wishing that I could get my hands on the Japanese series with subtitles. Oh well.

Author's Note/Warning: This is Tamers AU with lots of TakatoxJenrya shounen-ai (possibly yaoi in the future) fluff. Don't like it, don't read it. It's that simple. Also, I have not seen all of the Tamers season, and only the English version for that matter. The information I have is from websites and… some is just made up. AU, people, it is AU! Furthermore, encouraging reviews would be greatly appreciated, while flames will just injure my already crumbling self-esteem. Be nice to me, please. I'm not even sure if I'll continue this... It just came up as an idea so... If you want me to continue, please let me know! The rating will most likely go up as the story progresses. So, with that said... Read and enjoy! (Again. Copied and pasted.)

This chapter is in Jenrya's POV and contains his thoughts on the past three chapters. Normally, I wouldn't do this, but I feel like I need to explain a few things about why Jenrya's acting the way he is. Another reason why I'm doing this is because I've been up to my ears with stress about finding out my new diagnosis with the new psychiatrist I'm going to and a new chapter isn't coming very easily to me right now. I apologize. –Daisuke Anarie

The future I must walk is illuminated by the light that guides me… 

Since I was little, I wanted to believe in fairy tales, but reality was always heavy on my shoulders. Life just wasn't made to be complete adventure, magic, and romance. Life has responsibility, cruel twists, and an agenda to slap you back in the face at least twice a day.

Luckily, I have a pretty much normal family, except my dad's a full-blown workaholic. That has caused him a bit of trouble with being discontent with his work, so we move frequently until he can find something that'll occupy him long enough. Unfortunately, this normally doesn't last very long. It really doesn't bother me that much; he's just searching for the right path to take.

With all the moves, I've learned to not become attached to things. To brief friends, I'm distant and quiet, never going to birthday parties or getting out with a group. I just do what I must till we pack our bags again and take off to the other side of the world.

But something was different about West Shinjuku. I could just _feel_ it.

I have weird feelings, déjà vu, paranoia, and being drawn to stuff. I've tried to explain it to my parents, but the words just don't come out and make sense together. All I can describe it is to give an example: when I was five and my mother had to go to the convenience store to get some medicine for my fever. I begged her not to leave me, continuing to say that something bad was going to happen, and after plenty of tears, running snot, and puppy dog eyes, I convinced her to stay. Next morning, there was a report on the news about a shooting at that same convenience store.

My older brother and sister teased me a lot about it, but I do my best to ignore them.

I wasn't too thrilled when we moved back to Japan. We had been in America for just five months before coming here. And I was honestly enjoying my stay there. There was just a lot more freedom, opportunities, and breathing space, a sense of being in control of something, where I always felt crowded and controlled in other places. The only thing that really got to me was how rude some of the people were and all the criminal activity. But that's just my perspective.

There was definitely something going on in West Shinjuku, something with the people. Not all the people, though.

I remember the day we arrived. After unpacking, I had left the new apartment building to explore a bit, find out where my school was located, the bank, a few stores, just get the basic outlay of things. It was just my luck to be spacing out, though, as I walked and bumped into someone. It was a redhead girl with amethyst eyes. She glared at me, but that wasn't what got me. What shook me up was the _raw energy_ she radiated. Not only was she physically tough, she had a strong mental capacity.

She was almost inhuman.

The same thing happened with 'Takato-kun' and his brunette friend just a few minutes ago. The light in his eyes was peculiar. It almost _spoke_ to me. He had seen something beyond human sight. I didn't know how I knew – and I still don't, it just occurred to me in my head. And the female had a startling aura, too. They both had some sort of ability that was different than other humans.

It was overwhelming and weird. I didn't understand it, none of it made sense. And I'm a smart boy, _a lot_ of things made sense to me, except this.

So, I did the only thing that made sense – I retreated. Or, I ran away, whichever satisfies you more.

I really don't know what to think of it right now. And I suppose I shouldn't let it bother me, because school isn't the best place to break down. I still don't get it… I've 'met' three 'odd' people in the past three days, all during my time in West Shinjuku. Does this place just _breed_ strangeness or is there something more to it?

There's got to be something more. And I'm going to find out what it is, too, no matter what it costs.


End file.
